Permanent waving apparatus



April 20, 1948. A. E. STROLL PERMANENT WAVING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 51, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR.

April 20, 1948. A, E, STRO'LL 2,440,188

PERMANENT WAVING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 51, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet s ry! N I, m

INVEN TOR.

A. E. STROLL PERMANENT WAVING APPARATUS 1 April 20, 1948.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed De Riga . I INVENTOR.

@45 M14; I, r

Patented Apr. 20, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 2,440,188 PERMANENT WAVING APPARATUS Alfred E. Stroll, Brookline, Mass.

Application December 31, 1946, Serial No. 719,362

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for imparting a permanent wave to hair. More particularly it provides a procedure and apparatus whereby an entire head of hair may be permanently waved, all at one time, and in a relatively short time, after being arranged in the apparatus of the invention in con formity with the method and procedures of the invention.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a permanent waving apparatus comprising a series of stacked individual permanent waving units every portion of which is supported off the head, and out of contact with the head, of the person whose hair is being waved.

Another object is to provide a permanent waving apparatus wherein a lower permanent waving unit is supported in hair-waving relation to a head and out of contact with the head for receiving and waving hair at its elevation all around the head, and wherein other permanent waving units are progressively stacked on the lower unit, with each receiving the hair at its particular elevation all around the head.

A further object is to provide a permanent waving. apparatus comprising individual permanent waving units adapted to be assembled into a stack of units, with each unit comprising a grooved member and a cO-acting member with ridges generally complementary to said grooves, and each unit having a heating means therein, and an interior clamping means for co-actlon with said grooves and ridges for causing stretching of hair sinuously disposed across said grooves.

Yet another object is to provide a stack of permanent waving units of which each unit ineludes an upper ridged section and a lower grooved section between which hair is adapted to be arranged crossing the grooves, each unit also including interior means for clamping the hair at opposite sides of each groove and exterior means for depressing the ridges and engaged hair into the grooves with stretching of the hair between its said interiorly clamped regions.

Still another object is to provide a permanent waving unit which is adapted to be assembled with similar units in a stack and which includes means therein for imparting a sinuous wave to hair placed in the unit, and means for permanently setting the wave in the hair, each said unit of a stack being adapted to accommodate hair at its particular elevation all around the head. a

It is, moreover, my purpose and object gen- 9 Claims. (Cl. 132-31) 2 erally to improve upon prior permanent waving devices and prior hair waving procedures.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is an isometric view of a completely assembled permanent waving apparatus embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1, with a portion of each of two superimposed upper units of the stack broken away;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical cross-section of only the left side portion of the apparatus, on a larger scale;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the lower plate section of the lowermost unit of the stack;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the same plate section with its heater-covering plate removed to show the heating means;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view across the grooves in the lower plate section of the lowermost unit'of the stack, showing hair laid across the grooves and a solution-carrying sheet laid on the hair; h

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view, on the same scale as Fig. 6, showing the lower and upper plate sections of a unit assembled but prior to clamping and securing of the sections together;

Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of one of the exterior clamping devices for securing the unit sections together;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view along one of the ridges of an upper plate section of a unit, the ridge being shown in elevation, and the upper plate section and interior spring-backed clamping plate being in vertical cross-section; and

Fig. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view through the supporting means for the apparatus, medially of its forward edge notch, with a persons head represented in contact with a head-positioning means removably resting on the support.

Referring to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention which is shown in Fig. 1, completely assembled, rests on any suitable generally horizontal support which may be a table top deeply notched as at [0 to provide the two table portions l2, l4 below which the person whose hair is to be waved may be seated in an adjustable chair or the like with her neck in the notch l 0 and with her head above the top surfaces of the table portions I2, I4, both of which will be in the same plane, If desired the supports I2, l4 may be separate tables, or the like, suitably spaced apart so that a persons neck can extend freely between them. Referring briefly'to Fig. 10, any suitable means, such as is indicated at I 6, may be employed to ensure that the top of each head may be set at a predetermined elevation above the supports l2, I4, it being understood that the chair in which the person sits is vertically adjustable to bring the top of the head against the member it, after which the member I6 is moved out of the way to make room for my improved hair hole 29 through which the upperpgrtion gf the head protrudes, as best seen in Fig. 3. Above and resting on unit 28 is a left side unit, indicated generally at 30, and a similar right side unit, indicated generally at 32', while aboverarrd resting on unit 3 is a' top-left side unit; indicated gener-" ally at 34, and above and resting-on unit" 32 isa top right side unit; indicated-generally at 375.

As best seen in Fig.3; where thezportion ofx'the' apparatus at the left side-f thei h'eadisfshdwn; each of the waving units-l8, 20, '42; 24, 28, 30, 32, 3-4 and 35 comprises an 'uidperpiatei'sectl'on and a lower platese-ction and; since an of the lower units 18, 20;.2 2,-"24"and26afe substantially the same, the following detailed description :of the lowermost unit :I 8' maybe considered equally applicable to the units rfl, 22," 24-and-26, V

The lower platesection lawofunit f8 1(see'Figsr 3, 4, 6-8) has aseries of 'arcuate'grooves 58in its upper face extending-aroundthe neck notch 40, with progressively: larger radii'oiz",arcs from the innermost groove; tothe outermost groove}. as clearly shown; in the top-plannithis'platei as rep; resented in Fig: 4; Gbviousiy the number and spacing of grooves 38-m-ay-be variedasdesired in any particular apparatus, hut'i7hQy'Sh9ll1d'bdlS"T tributed so that the ent fe'rlen bhfof? strands" 'of hair which are to' 'belai d in the-unit'willcome into position to be waved by theunitinner edge of the plate section 1 ta is covered by a strip 39 which stands next to the lower portion: of the" head allaround the notch- :41121 :Strip *39 may be secured in place by'any suitable meanst'andrnay be of any suitable durable-material;preferably stiff and stable insulationniaterial foriresistihg heat and for with'standing'anyrough treatment to which. the section may be subjected:

The upper plate section lab bf unit 48 nasacomplementary series of a'rcuat ridges Tar: ried on its under 'faceand'has an interior relatively thin plate 44 which is mow/ably mounted relative to the upper plate section 48b and ran: tive to the ridges 42;- For this purpose; each ridge 42 is substantially spaced from the under face of the upper plate section l8b a'nd'is secured to said under face only at intervals alon its ex tent through the medium of upstanding bosses 46 on the ridges- 42 and screws 48 extending through the upper plate section 18b and threaded into the bosses 46, as best seen in Fig. 9. The interior thin'plate 44 is above the ridges 4'2 and has holes 50 through" which the bosses 46 loosely extend, so that plate 4411s movable toward and from the ridges. and is' biasedtowai'd them by springs 52 suitablydi-stributed over the unit between plate 44 and the upper plate" section [8b. If desired, instead of the bosses'46 on ridges 42, the spacing of the ridges may be. attained by spacing cylinders at the location-of the 0 with the screws extending loosely through the spacing cylinders and threaded into the ridges 42.

The inner edge of this section lab is inclined into general parallelism with the head at this elevation, as best seen in Fig. 3, and the edge is covered all around the neck notch 43 of the section by a strip 45 comparable to the strip 39 on lower section lea. Preferably, the strip 45 extends down so that hair extendinginto unit It between sections I'Ba, I86 thereof, will be engaged between the strips 45 and 39.

"Any suitable heating means, preferably an electric heating; means, is embodied in the lower plate section of the unit as indicated at 54, the

heating- 'inea'fis being preferably mounted on a [plate 55 forconvenient removal when necessaiy. The upper and lower plate sections 1811, money be drawn together and secured together by securing devices, forwardly and rearwardly at each side of the unit, each securing device as herein represented, and asbest seen in Figs} and 8; comprising a generally Lz shaped lever '56 pivoted at 58on the upper plate section I81), and having the loop 60 pivota-lly suspended therefrom for engaging in a notch 62 at the under side of a projection 64 on the lowerplate section I80.

Assuming thata1 patron whose hair is to be {permanently waved is properly seatedwith, the

top of her head at thepredetermined elevation above the supports l2, l4, as suggested in Fig. 10,

the lower plate section I 8a of unit l8 first is posi-' tioned onthe supports so that the patrons neck and lower head portion is within the notch 48 and spaced fromthe walls of the notch. Then the hair at the lowermost portions of the head and neckiscombed out and spread over the plate section lila, with each strand of hair crossing the arcuate grooves 38. However, before spreading the hair on the grooved plate section, each strand of hair has a suitable permanent waving preparation applied thereto; The hair may be dippedinto the preparation, which may be a solution of ammonia-,- for example, or the solution may be applied with a saturated cloth or pad, or in any other convenient manner. After thehair hasbeen thus treated and laid across the grooves 38 of plate section 18a, I prefer to supply additionalgsolution by means of a rela-' tively thin sheet 65 of cotton felt or the like (Figs. 6 and 7). This sheet 66, of say one thirty-sec- 0nd of an inch in thickness, may be clipped in the solution and then is laid on the hair which has been spread out on the grooved plate sec tion lBa. At this time, the hair will be in engagement with the crests between the grooves 38,: as represented in Fig. 6, and the felted sheet 66 will be generally a plane sheet resting on and covering all of the hair on plate section l'8a.

Next, the upper plate section I812 is placed above the section lilawith the ridges 42- engaging the felt sheet 66' and depressing it and the hair into the grooves 3-8 of section I'Ba until the spring-backed interior plate 44 resiliently stops the descent of the upper section I81). Hence, before the ridges 42- depress the hair into grooves 38 to a maximum extent, the spring-backed i11- ter-ior plate 44 engages and pinches the felt sheet 66 and the hair at; the crests between grooves, as best seen in Fig. '7 so that each strand of hair is held in a resilient clamp at opposite sides of each groove 38'. Any subsequent movement of section l8-b toward section llla increases this clamping action and the further depression of the hair into the grooves 38 by the ridges 42 causes stretching of the hair which involves also a rubbing action at the region of stretching which tends to give the hair a sheen or luster. Actually, the mentioned stretching of the hair introduces a permanent structural change in each stretched hair due to relative slip of the fibrous components of each hair.

As herein represented, the hair-stretching further movement of ridges 42 into the grooves 38, after the spring-backed interior plate has clamped the hair, may be accomplished by operation of the levers 56 heretofore referred to as provided forwardly and rearwardly at each side of unit l8. Referring to Figs. 3 and 8, when each of these levers 56 is depressed about its pivot 58, the loops 6.8 are lowered so that each can be engaged in the associated notch 62, after which an upward movement of the levers, each to a position as shown in Fig. 3, causes the plate sections to be drawn together. Preferably, each lever 56 in its securing position of Fig. 3, caradapted to fairly nicely fit around the head contour at its elevation as represented in Fig. 3.

Hence, after unit l8 has been closed and clamped on the hair laid therein, the lower plate section 28a of unit 28 is arranged upon the upper plate section lb of unit l8, and the procedure as explained in connection with unit I8 is repeated for unit 38, which receives hair at its elevation all around the head. Similarly, the units 22, 24 and 26 in turn are added to the stack, each receiving hair at its particular elevation in the stack.

The waving unit 28, as best seen in Figs. 1 and 2, differs from the lower units in that it has a round or slightly oval hole through which the upper portion of the head protrudes, and has circular grooves 68 and circular ridges I8 corresponding to the arcuate grooves 38 and ridges 42 of the unit I8. Also, the unit 28 has substantial extent forwardly, as seen in Fig. 1, and this forward portion is provided with hinged legs 12 for resting on the supports l2, I4, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper surface of the forwardly projecting portion of unit 28 is provided with the transverse guide means 14, for a purpose which later will appear, and similar guide means 16 are provided on the upper surface of a rearwardly projecting portion of unit 28. Otherwise unit 28 is generally the same as the lower units, with its lower plate section 28a and upper plate section 2812 assembled and clamped together in the same manner as described in connection with unit l8. However, since unit 28 comes in the region of the forehead, the hair at the front of the head extends within the forwardly projecting portion of the unit 28 as well as within the side and rear portions.

Above the unit 28, the units 38, 32, 34 and 36 are right and left side units whose grooves and ridges are straight and in parallelism, running from front to back of the units, as best seen in Fig, 2. The units 38, 32, rest on the unit 28, unit 38 extending at the left side and unit 32 at the right side, of the center of the head, these units being spaced substantially apart as can be seen from the locations of their forward edges in Fig.

1; Units 34 and 36 are the top units and are spaced only slightly apart, with unit. 34 resting on unit 38 and unit 36 resting on unit 32. Their proper positioning relative to unit 28 is determined by the guide means 18, 12 on unit 28 in conjunction with a proper alignment of the side edges of units 28, 38, 32, 34 and 36.

Assuming that the left side unit 38 is to be assembled first, above the unit 28, its lower plate 38a is arranged on unit 28 extending from front to rear along and spaced from the center-line of the head, and its straight grooves 18 all extend in parallelism in the same directions. All of the hair at its elevation on the left side of the centerline of the head is treated as previously described and is laid across the grooves 18, with all of the strands of this hair arranged generally in parallelism extending to the left. A sh'eet 66 saturated with the permanent waving solution is laid upon the hair as in the lower units, and then the upper plate section 38b, with its straight ridges 88 and spring-backed interior plate 82, is put in place and clamped in a manner comparable to that described for the placing and clamping of the upper plate section l8b of unit l8. However, the clamping or securing means for unit 38 preferably are located, for convenience, at the forward and rear edges of the unit rather than at the side edges.

The right side unit 32 next is assembled on unit 28 the same as the unit 38 at the left side.

The top and final units 34, 36 of the stack are then assembled upon the units 38, 32, respectively, these unit-s 34 and 36 being generally similar to units 38, 32, but having width so that their inner side edges are only slightly spaced apartwh'en their outer side edges are aligned with the outer side edges of the lower units of the stack. Also, the upper plate section 341) of unit 34 has the depending flange 35 along its inner side edge so that, when the unit is assembled with the hair extending sinuously across the straight grooves 84 of lower plate section 3411, the hair extends generally upward from the head into the unit between the dependin flange 35 of section 341) and the inner side edge of section 34a. A similar depending flange (not shown) extends along the inner side edge of the upper plate section 36b of the right side unit 36, and this right side unit is assembled the same as the unit 34. All of these upper units, 38, 32, 34 and 36 have their clamping or securing means at the forward and rearward edges of the units, and the said means on adjacent units preferably are staggered with respect to each other. The similar clamping and securing means at the side edges of the lower units also preferably have a staggered arrangement.

After all of the units are assembled and clamped in the stack, heat may be applied simultaneously to all of the units through their individual heatingmeans 54 in the lower plate section of each unit. The electric heating means herein indicated for each unit all may be connected together and plugged into the building electrical system with any suitable automatic timing device (not shown) included in the circuit to cut oil the currentafter a predetermined period of operation of the heating means. Also, a suitable temperature controlling means (not shown) may be included in the circuit, as is well known.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description, in connection with the drawings, that I u i ievd p quickly iriaybe trained in he eff cient appl cation and use or mecha' s-in' jwh'ichefictively permanently waves the i fifi i il'a te v n at-1y feasible with wevmgdeviees aria proceeads and ea'chunit, eet between its sectiofi "aiidjvith t e fiexibie insulating material a aieng the edges of seetien edjeeem to the y and ead, constitutes a eun tentieny gest 'uiiit from whi h no harmful quantity of tea e eeeee te errie m contact with theperev'fi it emanate understood that the are not essential toe; satisfactory op the apparatus; also, if desired, the A n I f" of individual units ma e ej'enfiee e i ogether by connect ng bar-e (not shown) which may eiitendb'etwee'n them for simultaneous operation of the connected levers.

W heal r embodied meaen it should b'e'underthat the apparatus may be used Without on of heat to provide a cold wave by fig f "vailable' cold wave soluti tine"; connect on it is mentioned that it i no objection that the hair in the lower units mybe sub t to; the eirec't's of the somtien w longer eriods of time than the hair in the iater as embled upperhriits, it being only necesto be eureth t the Hair la's't e emt'ed in the apparatus is o ectedtothe eire 'ts of the solumined period of time.

e. i 'H fia il e p vidd withcr'es't'sor curls'o eombinetiens of both anywhere onthe head regar'dles'sof whether the per an'e'nt wave is set by application of heat or is effected means of a com wave solution.

i'cl'aiih as my invention:

1.- A permanent waving apparatus comprising a unit adapted to be supported out of contact with a, head, saidunit comprising coactingsections of which one section has spaced apart grooves in its upper surface across a plurality of which grooves each strand of hair to be waved is laid, and another section is adapted to be superimposed on the first section and has ridges on its under surface for fitting in said grooves of the first section, thereby to depress each strand of hair into each of the said plurality of grooves acros which ach strand extends, resilient means operative betweenthe two said sections for clampmg the" hai rat Qfifibsitje ds of; eachsaid roove an for yiei'aabry; restraining the descent of the ridges into the said gro oves, an mea s for moving the two sections relatively toward each other after the said clamping off the hair; thereby to depress sai ridges furtherinto the grooves "air or each strand in each ih fiin t of the" plurality of gr ves across which the strand "haveillus'trated apparatus with a.

extends while the "strand is clamped at opposite sides of each of" said plurality of grooves; I

2. A permanent waving apparatus comprising anmt adapt'd to be supp rte adjacent to the heat-1' of whse hair isto be waved, said 8 unit tempt-sing a lower section having seate grooves in its top surf ce across a piu enty or which grooves a's'trand of the hair is laid, a coaoting upper section having space ridges oh its bottom; surface for registering wan grooves, means operative, between saidfsecti for clamping thestrand of hair at opt sides of each of said plurality of grooves, eer'ese which the strand extends, When the ubpf 'so fiiofi is arranged on the lower section, said d mping means resiliently opposing movement of the upper section toward the, lower section fmean's'idlbjerative' renewing se ecmmpine or the mirror moving the sections relatively toward each tithr thereby to depress the said ridges and hair into the groov s with stretching of th half inafh groove between the said clamped portions wereof and with a forceful rubbing of the hair Bil the ridges to produce a "sheen on the rubhed 136i: tions of hair. I

3. In 'aperma'nent waving" apparatus, a series. of hair waving units adapted to be stacked with a head of hair therein, said units being assembled in succession in the stack with each unit acdfiimodating hair at its general elevation in the stack, means in each unit for providing. sinufosi-ty of extent of the hair therein, means in each unit for stretching portions of the hair during as"- senibli'r of the unit, and means whereby all of the units of the stack may be heated enema;- neously to set the sinuous wave in the hair in esen unit. a

4, In apermanent Waving apparatus, a stacli of hair Waving units of which each unit edmpjfiee'e a grooved lower section, across whose reet/estate to be waved is laid, and a ridged upper section adapted to rest on the lower s'ectionwith the ridges partially filling the grooves for depressing portions of the hair into the grooves, rrie'en eeeia ative between the sections for Clamping the Ti at opposite sides of each groove, resilient yieldably maintaining the ridges "at asubst tial distance from the bottoms of the greevea' ane means for clamping the section's tegetner, after the said clamping of the hair, thereby to force theridges deeper into the grooves with stretching of the portions of hair between the damned regions thereof. r a

5. In a permanent waving apparatus, stack of hair waving units of 'which each unit coffiprises a grooved lower section, across wnes'e grooves hair to be waved is laid, and; a ridged up per section adapted to rest on the lower section with the ridges partially filling the grooves for depressing portions of the hair into the greatest a clamping plate resiliently mounted within the upper section and constantly biased toward the lower section, a flexible sheet 'ieterven eg tetweeh the hair and said olafr'ipin'g plate and adapted to carry a per anent wave solution, said eie pifig plate clam ing" said sheet and h'airf eg'eiiis t the iewer section a opposite sides or each generate;

and means" exteriorly of the unit for refere -said sections relatively tdtilaid other there 53f to depress said ridges and hair deeper into the grooves with stretching" of the tetweea the said clamped regions of hair.

tion and constantly biased toward the lower section, a flexible sheet intervening between the hair and said clamping plate and adapted to carry a permanent wave solution, said clamping plate clamping said sheet and hair against the lower section at opposite sides of each said groove,

and said sheet coacting with said sections to make the unit approximately tight against escape of gas that may be developed therein, and means exteriorly of the unit for drawing the sections relatively toward each other after the said clamping oi the hair by said plate thereby to depress said ridges and hair deeper into the grooves with stretching of the hair at portions thereof between the said clamped portions of hair.

7. In a permanent waving apparatus, a stack of hair waving units of which each unit comprises a grooved lower section, across whose grooves hair to be waved is laid, and a ridged upper section adapted to rest on the lower section with the ridges partially filling the grooves for depressing portions of the hair into the grooves, means extending along that edge of each section which is adjacent to the head, said means on the two sections coacting in the assembled unit to approximately seal said edge, a clamping plate resiliently mounted within the upper section and biased toward the lower section, a flexible sheet intervening between the hair and said plate and adapted to carry a permanent Wave solution, said plate clamping said sheet and hair against the lower section at opposite sides of each said groove thereby to approximately seal each groove against escape or gases that may develop therein, and exterior means for forcing said sections together after said clamping of the hair by said plate, thereby to depress the ridges and hair further into the grooves with stretching of the hair between the clamped portions thereof.

8. A permanent waving apparatus comprising a plurality of generally collar-shaped lower units stacked one upon the other, a support for the lowermost unit, a plurality of upper units stacked upon the lower units at least one of said upper units projecting outward all around a head posi- I tion of the apparatus, and at least one other of said upper units extending over the said head position of the apparatus, each said unit combe heated simultaneously to set the sinuous wave in the hair in all of the units simultaneously.

9. A permanent waving apparatus comprising a plurality of stacked lower units each having a deep notch in one edge whereby the units are adapted to fit around the neck and lower head of a person whose hair is to be waved, a support for the lowermost unit, each said lower unit comprising two coacting sections of which one has spaced arcuate grooves extending around the said notch of the unit, across which grooves hair is to be laid, and the other has spaced arcuate ridges extending around the notch and adapted to fit in said grooves when the sections are assembled, to depress the said hair into the grooves, said apparatus including also an upper unit having two coacting hair-engaging sections with a central head opening therein and with coacting spaced circular grooves and ridges extending around said opening, and at least one top unit extending across said head opening in said upper unit, with coacting hair engaging sections including generally straight coacting grooves and ridges, all of said units being out of contact with the head whose hair is being waved.

ALFRED E. STROLL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,566,522 Carles 1. Dec. 22, 1925 1,618,144 Banach Feb. 15, 1927 1,662,330 Privitera Mar. 13, 1928 1,696,823 Walsh Dec. 25, 1928 

